A Road Trip from Dar es Salaam to Arusha (through Dodoma)

A Road Trip from Dar es Salaam to Arusha (through Dodoma)

A Road Trip from Dar es Salaam to Arusha (through Dodoma)

The outstanding thing about a road trip through Tanzania is the beauty and magnificence of the few landmarks. Generally, Tanzania has a very good road network, as road transport is the major means of transportation. You can however come across rough roads in some places. Starting form Dar es Salaam, which is Tanzania’s largest city, you should explore the vast and interesting sights it has to offer.

Before you leave Dar es Salaam, you should take advantage of some of the interesting spots. There are several interesting places where you can shop for various things around Dar es Salaam. You should take time to visit some of these spots before you move on with your road trip. Some of the places you should visit include the Kariakoo Market and the malls at Msasani for interesting shopping experiences. You should also explore the historical buildings and monuments, bakeries and restaurants. The best way to get a full experience of what Dar es Salaam has to offer is to get on a walking tour. You can however, drive around to explore these interesting sites.

On the way to Arusha, you have the chance to visit Pangani beaches. The town of Pangani is surrounded by beautiful beaches which see few visitors when compared to places like Zanzibar. This makes the atmosphere around these beaches calm and serene.

You should also visit Mkomazi National Park where you will get to explore the beautiful fauna. Mkomanzi was originally established as a game reserve but in 2006 it was changed to a national park. Animals peculiar to the park include the Wild Dog, Lion and Black Rhinoceros.

Further down the road, in the Manyara region, you can visit the sixth largest national park in Tanzania- Tarangire National Park. The park was named after the Tarangire River, which passes through the park. Here you get to see the elephants and baobab trees for which the park is known.

You shouldn’t miss a visit to the famous Lake Victoria – although this is quite a detour. Although the Lake covers three countries; Tanzania, Uganda, and Kenya, you get to see Tanzania’s part. There are many other attractions in the region; Musoma and Bukoba expose you to beautiful waterside experiences.

In the Arusha region, you get to visit the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Ngorongoro is a World Heritage Site in the crater highlands area of Tanzania. It is named after a big volcanic caldera in the area- Ngorongoro Crater.

For the best road trip experience, you should drive back to Dar es Salaam through Dodoma. There are few but interesting spots you should visit there. In Dodoma, you can visit the University, the Gaddafi Mosque, Lion Rock, The grape vines and many more. One peculiar thing you will notice on the road is that in most places you cannot exceed 50 kilometers per hour, because of the many settlements situated along the road.